6 Reasons Why You Should Visit Berlin

After visiting Berlin for three times I am finally ready to convince everyone else to visit Berlin. I would go back in a heartbeat, and my last visit, a visit of tree days, was way to short for me. Berlin has everything – Berlin is beautiful – Berlin is magnificent.

I think the first two times I didn’t really notice this about Berlin because I had a packed schedule, I went from highlight to highlight and from museum to monument without taking a breather and without seeing the actual Berlin itself. The third time I visited Berlin was all about exploring the real Berlin and that is when I fell in love with the city.

There are tons of reasons why you should choose Berlin for your next destination, but lets start with 6 of them!

The History

If you are a history geek: look no further. Berlin is your city. I think most part of the recent history of Europe started in Berlin. If you want to understand and learn more about WW II and the impact the war had on Europe and the world you should start in Berlin. Nowhere else you learn as much about World War II as you can in Berlin – even though every country has her own story. I mean, it started all in Berlin – and it all ended in Berlin.

Berlin has a history of communism as well, which is also a very big part of the east European history. And with a couple of museums like the DDR museum and the museum at Checkpoint Charlie, plus the Berlin Wall you can learn a lot about communism as well.

You can not visit Berlin without learning about her history. Next to the the scars of WW I, WW II and communism Berlin also has some of the best history museums in Europe. So looking for history? Berlin is the place to be!

Being alternative isn’t an issue in Berlin

One of the things I love about Berlin is that everyone is just being themselves. Actually, the city screams ‘just be yourself’. I don’t know how to explain it but Berlin just feels like the most liberal capital of Europe. I think that whoever you are you will find a place in Berlin where you fit right in. Even if you not fit in: that is not a big issue, ‘just be yourself’.

Berlin has a lot of alternative cultures and styles but also is marked as the ‘hipster’ city of Europe. In neighborhoods like Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Friedrichshain you’ll find tons of vibrant places where you’ll find Berlinners chill and do their thing. You’ll also find a lot of underground bars and alternative pubs and clubs here… A bar in Berlin is a bar like no other!

A lot of expats choose for Berlin due to this fact; they feel non-judged in the city of Berlin, and as soon as you step into the city you’ll experience the same!

The Most Impressive Monuments You’ll Ever See

Hand in hand with the amazing history of Berlin you’ll find the most impressive monuments you’ll ever see.

I don’t know how long I’ve stared at the Berlin Wall, thinking how unbelievable it is that this wall actually once brutally separated east from west Berlin. The Berlin Wall was one of the most remarkable monuments I’ve ever seen. And I haven’t even started talking about the East Side Gallery and the Holocaust Memorial.

Berlin has beautiful monuments, but more than they are beautiful they will all speak to you. They will ALL leave you feeling speechless and amazed by the things that have happened in Berlin, in Germany AND in Europe in the past. They are impressive.. to say the least.

The monuments of Berlin are already enough reasons to visit Berlin. You will notice it right away.. once you see them in real life.

For The Food

I honestly think Berlin is one of the best cities in Europe for vegans. Never have I ever seen so much vegan restaurants without even searching for them.

Berlin also has the highest population of Turkish people in Europe, and you’ll notice that through the variety of Turkish restaurants and supermarkets. Other than that Berlin is filled with Italian, Mexican and Asian restaurants for you to enjoy.

Berlin also has a ton of food markets – outdoor and in indoor market halls, where you’ll find snacks, German wine, German cheese and a lot of foods that will leave you mouth watering.

In the neighborhoods Kreuzberg and Neukölln you’ll find tons of great restaurants and small lounge bars. Here (and in the rest of Berlin) you’ll also find dozens of coffee bars that are insanely cute, good and fun to visit! Your visit will never be long enough to taste all the great coffees!

For The Great Shops And Markets

I’m not only talking about the Berlin Mall, the KaDeWe and the Gallery Lafayette. While these shops are all great, and I spent more than enough time there during my three visits, I’m also talking about the smaller stores and the markets.

Berlin is filled with small stores. From secondhand bookstores that sell the most amazing old books (and with old I mean old), to small vintage stores that sell high quality designer clothes. You can find them everywhere, if you just walk away from the city center a little bit. But once you found those small gems: you’re in luck.

Next to the shops Berlin has tons of markets. I already mentioned the huge amount of food markets in Berlin. However, Berlin also has a lot of flee markets in the different neighborhoods where you’ll find the most rare and amazing vintage items.

While Berlin isn’t ‘famous’ for her shopping I definitely recommend you to consider it as a ‘shopping-destination’ because those stores with those unique items definitely top the bigger international shopping chains.

For The Nightlife

Some of the biggest and most insane clubs of Europe are situated in Berlin. Berlin has a huge, active and crazy nightlife and you’ll not get bored while you are in Berlin. You’ll never know where you’ll end up and you’ll never know to which party you are going next. But one thing is sure: somewhere today there is a massive event in Berlin that you need to visit.

Even if you are not a party-type Berlin has some great places for you to spend your nights: from beer gardens, to small bars and from the hostel bars to events in art-galleries!

Just walk the streets of Berlin at night and you’ll definitely find something you enjoy!

It’s my dream to visit Germany especially Berlin. I took German as my foreign language class back in high school and ever since, I’ve been interested with the history and the culture of Germany 🙂 Great post!

I am liv in Berlin and in Berlin you could visit the Berliner Dom or the Parlament. Berlin is also good for Familys because there are a lot of Parks with little Restaurants. And when you want to go in a caffee i would ask an Berliner because there a lot of insider.